A tulle skirt for all occasions – a tutorial
I remember vividly the first time I gave my older girl a tulle skirt. Her glowing eyes, her happiness, it’s an image I won’t forget… She was three at the time and she loved to spend her day dancing around all over the house pretending she was a ballerina, so I thought a tulle skirt was the perfect gift for her. Some time later, when she was four we put her on ballet classes and she was oh-so thrilled!
The truth is, every little girl (hmm, every grown up girl too! 🙂 ) loves tulle skirts! And they are so fun to make and so versatile! You can make them for dance classes, for a fancy outfit, just for playing around the house, or… for a costume!
You can get tulle in several colors, so depending on the theme or character you choose you can make a fun tulle skirt or dress! Think blue tulle for a Frozen inspired dress, a black one for a Halloween witch costume, an orange skirt for a cute pumpkin costume, a yellow skirt for a Snow White costume… The possibilities are endless!
That first tulle skirt I gave her was not made by me. (Shame on you, mom! I know…) I had never sewn with tulle before and I always procrastinate when I have to make something for the first time… (I wonder if I am the only one here…) Until I make it and realize how easy and fun it was and laugh at myself for not having made it before…
Today I am sharing with you how to make an easy tulle skirt in a few different ways and options!
We will start by making the tulle skirt and then we can sew it to a t-shirt to make a full costume – it is great for a last minute princess costume! – or to some leggings, so our little girls can play around, jump and run with no problem!
Basic Quick Tulle Skirt Tutorial
You will need:
1 to 3 yards of tulle (It depends on the girl’s waist size and how much gathering you would like it to have. For this tutorial I have used 1 yard for a 21 inch waist.)
2-inch elastic with waist measurement width
How to make it:
1. Fold the tulle. Depending on how long you want the skirt to be, you can fold it in two, three or four layers. I was able to fold it parallel to the length, so I have it folded twice – four layers – for a length of about 13.5 inches (tulle usually is 54” wide, so 4x 13.5”). If you need to cut it, then cut it folded with a rotary cutter along a ruler. Cut desired length + 1 inch.
2. Pin one of the long edges and run a gathering stitch (maximum length) about 1/2 inch from the edge.
3. Pin sides and stitch with a 3/8” seam allowance. (Make sure not to catch the gathering thread.)
4. Gather skirt by pulling the bobbin threads.
Note: Personally I find it easier doing this way with tulle, but you can stitch the sides together first and then stitch and gather the upper edge.
Note: If you find that the tulle raw edge on the inside is a bit itchy (when in direct contact with the skin), you can enclose it with bias tape by sewing folded bias tape around the raw edge.
Note: If you want a no see-through skirt you need to either add several more layers of tulle or you can make a simple fabric skirt to add as a bottom layer. You can either make a simple gathered skirt pattern (like this) or a circle skirt pattern (like this) for a fuller skirt.
Tulle-skirt Dress Tutorial
If you want to make a princess dress or a costume in 10 minutes this is what you need! Make a quick tulle skirt, grab a tee, sew both together and voilá!
You will need:
One tulle skirt and one t-shirt (chose the color according to the princess or character dress you want) – it can be color blocked or you can embellish it previously, with an aplique or a freezer paper stencil.
How to make it:
If you wish to hide the elastic (like I did), pin the tee to the tulle skirt wrong side of tee with right side of skirt. Then, stitch it on the right side, stretching the elastic carefully.
Tulle Skirt + Leggings Tutorial
You can attach some leggings to your tulle skirt! It makes it more warm and comfortable.
You will need:
Some leggings and a tulle skirt.
How to make it:
Pin the leggings to the skirt. Stitch with a zig zag stitch or a stretch stitch about .5 inch from edge.
You’re done!
No-Sew Tulle Skirt Tutorial
If you are looking for a no-sew tulle skirt, check this great tutorial by Amy!
I made this tulle skirt for my younger girl who turned three last August. Can you tell how happy she is? She is such a doll! (And no, I am not biased… 🙂 )
Feel free to head over Made by Sara or email me to mail (dot) sarahandmade (at) gmail (dot) com if you have any question. I will be more than happy to answer it and get in touch!
Happy sewing!
2 Responses
Hi Amy,
Thank you very much for the basic tulle skirt pattern. I’m a little scared to try it but will.
I have four beautiful grand daughters and I want to make the youngest (6 year old) a skirt.
The tulle I bought from JoAnns Fabric has hippos on it and they are her absolute favorite. I’m going to add a soft colored knit skirt under the tulle and i have to add stretchy shorts so she can enjoy the playground.
Your pattern looks doable – I’ll keep you posted.
Pittsburgh Happy Grandma
Thankyou so much, I have searched for a pattern Like this everywhere, and I’d just about given up. I can’t thank you enough.
It looks absolutely beautiful.